Julian Reese stayed loyal through Terps dark days, passed on the portal. Now he's soaring toward the rafters
"...He believed in what our plan was for him and then has stayed the course and had been true to the University of Maryland as any player probably ever has, especially in today's environment. It's just been an honor to see him grow as a player, but especially as a man..."
Julian Reese has been a true Terp, someone who has stuck with the program through a rollercoaster ride of four seasons.
This season, with Maryland playing its best basketball in recent years, the 6-foot-9 Reese has been a reliable star in one of the best starting five in the nation.
"Again, I don't think enough people are talking about Julian Reese is – like, he's my safety blanket," Maryland head coach Kevin Willard said after the Terps beat USC last Thursday night. "At any time, I feel confident I can come down, throw him the basketball, and he has been as consistent as any big guy in this league all year. So, when you have a talent like Derik and you have Ja'Kobi and Rodney and Selton who can shoot it, but in this league, there's going to be times where you got to get the ball inside the paint, and he's just been, he's been really good."
Reese, from Baltimore and St. Frances Academy, was a four-star and the No. 60 recruit in the Class of 2021, per the 247Sports Composite. He signed to play for former Maryland coach Mark Turgeon, and the Terps were ranked 21st nationally in the 2021-22 preseason AP poll. Quickly, things went awry. Turgeon and Maryland parted ways after a 5-3 start, and Danny Manning took over. The team ended with a 15-17 record and a one-and-done showing in the Big Ten Tournament. Reese averaged 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game and shot 45.6% from the field and 80.4% from the free-throw line as a freshman.
Kevin Willard arrived ahead of the 2022-23 season, Reese's sophomore campaign, and the Baltimore native's improvement was palpable. Reese averaged 11.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for a team that won an NCAA Tournament game. He shot 63.2% from the field, the third-best single-season field goal percentage in program history. He went toe-to-toe with eventual National Player of the Year Zach Edey twice. His free-throw shooting took a major dip, though, down to 53.3%. Reese was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention, and Willard made a big declaration ahead of his junior year.
"I'd put that kid on an NBA team any second just because he's going to help you win," Willard said in an October 2023 podcast appearance. "He's going to get better and he's young. I think he just turned 20. So, it's like it, it's amazing. Such a great kid. And I agree. I think he's the best big man in the country. I'm blessed to have him."
Maryland's 2023-24 season went off the rails from the jump. The Terps took a step back, finishing 16-17 and missing the NCAA Tournament. Reese improved his numbers and averaged 13.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 54.6% from the field and 56.8% from the free-throw line. Maryland was the nation's 347th-best three-point shooting team, so all eyes were on Jahmir Young and the constant post play of Reese, who was once again named an All-Big Ten honorable mention.
When Willard landed five-star Baltimore native Derik Queen last year, a teammate of Reese's at St. Frances, it was a momentous moment for the program. Reese could have opted to transfer, but he stuck around. The loyalty has paid dividends.
Reese is averaging a career-high 14 points per game this season. He is also posting 9.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 59.2% from the field. Reese is shooting 73.8% from the free-throw line, an incredible improvement that has helped complete his game. Reese and Queen have become one of the nation's best frontcourts, posting double doubles in the same game five times the season, the most of any duo in the country.
Willard's appreciation for the senior big is palpable.
"To be honest with you, like I was just talking to him about like, you know, he's going to be one of the few rare exceptions in college basketball where someone stayed all four years … I really believe one day Julian's number will be hanging from the rafters," Willard said during his radio show Monday night.
"Because in an era where kids showed no loyalty, kids get up and go anytime they want, money this and that, this young man didn't transfer when I first got the job, when he was a freshman going into his sophomore year. He believed in what our plan was for him and then has stayed the course and had been true to the University of Maryland as any player probably ever has, especially in today's environment. It's just been an honor to see him grow as a player, but especially as a man. And I just think, I – hopefully at the Northwestern game our fans appreciate his loyalty, his growth and send them off the way he deserves to be sent off."
